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A Different Future
Chapter 14 – Mother's Tears
Bulma looked outside the window, tapping her leg impatiently. She glanced at the clock again. Trunks was due home an hour ago.
'He'll be late, and I can't let Gohan know…'
She tapped her foot again.
'Maybe I'll call one of his friends… Marron. That's it. Marron.'
Looking through Trunks's phone book ('it's his fault he left it out in the open'), she dialed the number. Marron's mother answered.
"Hello!"
"Hello. I'm Bulma Briefs, Trunks's mother. He's…"
"Oh yeah, Marron's friend! How are you, Miss Briefs?!"
Bulma smiled lightly. Marron was so much like her mother in nature.
"I'm fine. How are you?"
"Good, good. What can I do for you?"
"Is Marron home?"
"I'll check… oh, she just came in. Marron, sweetie! Trunks's mother is on the phone, she wants to…"
"I can't talk to her! I'm busy!"
"Marron!"
Bulma heard a door slam, and smiled. If Marron just came in, then Trunks was due home as well.
"I'm sorry, she's busy."
"That's all right. Thank you very much."
"Say, maybe we'll get together over a cup of coffee sometimes."
"I'd love that. Bye."
"Bye!"
Bulma sighed.
'Well, I'm not one to waste time. I'm sure he'll be here soon, and I have another… chip shipment. Better get to work, Bulma.'
Gohan paced back and forth in the dark room, fists clenching-unclenching. Krillin followed him with a worried gaze. Piccolo merely leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
"Are you sure that's what happened, Gohan? I mean, no way was it a mistake?"
Krillin asked for the thousandth and first time. This time Gohan didn't settle for just a yes.
"How many strong, purple haired kids are out there, Krillin?"
He continued pacing.
"Where do you think they took him?"
"God knows. Which, by the way, we could ask him!"
Gohan said, turning to his old mentor. The Namek shook his head. "He's too troubled. Asking him about one boy…"
The Saiyan almost exploded.
"Damn it, Piccolo, he's not just 'one boy'! He can fight with us, you know that!"
"And how exactly were you going to keep him from being spotted? Face it, Gohan. He was caught sooner, but he would've been caught either way."
"I wasn't…"
"You're not a kid who's learning he's different."
The two locked eyes, and Gohan was the one to break it.
"I guess you're right… but we have to go get him!"
"I wish we could, Gohan, but we're low on supplies. We need priorities here, and right now we need you out on the field and focused!"
"But…"
"For once, Krillin is right."
Piccolo said, matter of factly.
"We don't know where he is and how heavily guarded that place is. Or… if he's still alive."
"The grim silence was broken by the most unexpected voice.
"Oh, he's alive."
All eyes turned to Vegeta.
"How do you know?"
"Simple. He's my son. That little fact makes him far too valuable for them to just kill off."
"Then what are they going to do to him?"
"Probably something diabolical, no doubt. Brat, you coming?"
Gohan was lightly dumbfounded.
"Oh, who else am I supposed to spar with?"
He looked mockingly at Krillin, then left.
"He's right. I hate to admit it, though."
Krillin said, sighing.
"We'd better train too. Come on."
Bulma looked at the clock again. Time seemed to move so slowly. Gohan was sitting in the living room, be he wouldn't tell her where Trunks was. She knew he knew. But why wouldn't Gohan tell her?
The greater part of her prayed that Trunks was off somewhere, training. But she knew she was tricking herself.
"Gohan…"
He raised his black eyes to meet with her tear filled blue ones.
"Where's my son, Gohan?"
"I told you, Bulma. I don't know."
She nodded. There was tensed silence until the phone rang. Bulma answered it with shaking hands.
"He, hello?"
"Hello, Ms. Briefs!"
The young man on the other side of the line sounded cheerful.
"Hello…"
"Ms. Briefs, I'm happy to inform you that your son has been sent on a youth trip, curtsey of the Androids! We're sorry, but it seems you were not informed of it, but we only learned of it once he was gone. If it's ok with you, we'd come over tomorrow and pick up some of the gear he left behind. Er, Ms. Briefs?"
Gohan raised an eyebrow as Bulma went noticeably pale.
"Ah ha?"
"Ah good, you're still here. What time to come by?"
"I'll… call you… back…"
"Very well. Ask to talk to Sherman, ok? Good day, Miss."
"Good… day…"
She hung the phone and Gohan stood next to her, his grim expression telling he had guessed the conversation's content.
"Bulma?"
Bulma stared forward, before fainting into Gohan's arms. Anyone who had the weakest connection with the resistance knew what those trips really meant.
Trunks wasn't coming home.